My 1001 Albums Journey

When I was 15 years old, I got a free ticket to go see Peter Frampton in Newport, Rhode Island. I knew and liked the three big radio hits - "Show Me the Way", "Baby, I Love Your Way", "Do You Feel Like We Do" - and free is free, so why not? Before the show started, the venue made a big to-do that no one was allowed to stand in the space between the front of the stage and the front row; alas, by the middle of the first song, there were quite a few people right up in there. Halfway through the set, Frampton ripped into a killer cover of "Black Hole Sun". My friend and I thought it was super badass, so we tried to sneak up to the front. A security guard stopped us and explained that the only people allowed to stand either had front row tickets or exclusive VIP passes. As we returned to our seats disappointed, I turned around to see Frampton looking at us with a confused expression. During the next song, a killer version of "(I'll Give You) Money", a couple more people tried to get up front and were also stopped. As the song kept playing, Peter announced, "Let the people come up and dance! If they can't get up here and dance, I'm walking off this stage." My friend and I looked at each other and *booked it* to the front, as did many others. The security guards continued to try and stop a few people, which Frampton objected to. He cued the band to stop, took his guitar off, and left the stage. I remember saying to my friend, "Even if he doesn't come back, this is the most badass concert ever." Sure enough, though, he returned about 10 minutes later with a shit-eating grin on his face and said, "Let's pick that one back up from my guitar solo." He finished the song (and the set) while my friend and I got to enjoy it from right up front, and to this day, it's one of the coolest, most respectable rock star moves I've ever witnessed. I suppose I can understand why he may not be everyone's cup of tea, and I'm sure some people of a certain generation got burnt out on this album's hype, but I will never have anything but the utmost respect for Peter Frampton. And this album is pretty damn good. 4/5

Dimery should be fucking arrested for including this. 1/5

I have heard all the arguments against this album. The production is too messy; the Apple Jam record is unnecessary; even without the Apple Jam, it’s too long. Anyone who thinks this way is certainly entitled to their opinion; not only do I respectfully disagree with these sentiments, but the jaw-dropping strength, beauty, and magnitude of All Things Must Pass are too much for me to consider ranking anything else as my favorite solo Beatles album. To those points, I won’t pretend that I’m always in the mood for the Apple Jam, but I don’t believe its presence in any way detracts from the greatness of the album. On top of that, I always enjoy it when I do listen to it, especially “Out Of The Blue,” which has never felt 11 minutes and 13 seconds long to me. Jim Gordon (drums), Gary Wright (organ), and Bobby Whitlock (piano) all groove spectacularly on this track, and George and Klaus Voormann provide some extremely interesting guitar work. The musicians subtly shift gears multiple times and truly interact with each other, unlike other jams that meander aimlessly and exist only to showcase individual players’ solos. Taking the Apple Jam out of the equation, yes, it’s a long record. But because every song is so good, it never feels tiring to me. The weakest song may be “I Dig Love,” and I think it’s a blast. The main riff, courtesy of George (slide guitar), Whitlock (piano), and Wright (electric piano), is super playful, and the drum fills provided by old friend Ringo Starr add some additional whimsicality. It also features some great organ work from Billy Preston and a nice, understated solo from George. And yes, Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound production is massive; George himself later said he felt there was “too much reverb.” For my money, I think this album’s defining sound is ultimately a huge asset. George’s slide work on “My Sweet Lord” is obviously sublime, but it is aided greatly by the layered acoustic guitars provided by himself, Eric Clapton, and Badfinger’s Pete Ham, Tom Evans, and Joey Molland. “What Is Life” is notable for George’s catchy riff and outstanding vocal, but the horns courtesy of Jim Price (trumpet) and Bobby Keys (saxophone), as well as John Barham’s magnificent string arrangement, provide it with a spectacular energy. Price and Keys also lend some pep to “Awaiting On You All,” which boasts another fantastic riff, awesome drums and percussion from Gordon and Mike Gibbins, and exuberant backing vocals from Harrison, Clapton, and Whitlock. The broad arrangements mirror not only how important this album was, but how great the content is; I can’t imagine being bothered by how enormous these songs sound because they’re all so enormously good. Even the one song that George didn’t write is a highlight. Bob Dylan is my second favorite artist of all time, and I rarely agree with the opinion often espoused by his detractors that his songs are better sung by other people. Bob’s rendition of “If Not For You” on his New Morning record is lovely, but George’s version here is so clearly the definitive one. Every acoustic and slide guitar is perfectly placed, the lead vocal is superb, and the keyboard work (Wright on piano, Preston on organ) fills out the soundscape beautifully. Dylan’s influence is felt elsewhere on All Things Must Pass, of course. George spent some quality time in upstate New York with him and the Band in late 1968; it was during this time that the two co-wrote the stellar “I’d Have You Anytime.” Dylan was intrigued by Harrison’s grasp on unique chord progressions and time signature changes, both of which are incorporated into this song. Knowing that perhaps the greatest lyricist of all time was suffering from writer’s block, George’s pleas to “let me into your heart” are a touching offering to his friend. Bob’s lyrical response is even more heartwarming: “All I have is yours, all you see is mine/And I’m glad to hold you in my arms/I’d have you anytime.” It’s a brilliant album opener, especially because Clapton’s guitar intro is particularly welcoming. The celestial “Behind That Locked Door” finds George once again encouraging Bob to share his talents with the world. It’s another perfect sonic backdrop; Pete Drake’s pedal steel performance is out of this world good, Wright contributes more solid piano, and Preston’s organ playing, especially when he joins in on the main figure, is marvelous. As he does for most of the album’s tracks, George stacks his vocal harmonies to wonderful effect on this song as well. And “Apple Scruffs” may not be about Dylan, but its acoustic guitar and harmonica-driven nature is certainly reminiscent of him. Even if you love the sound of this record as a whole like I do, this stripped-down number is certainly a welcome addition. As an ode to the hardcore Beatles fanatics of the late 60’s, it is also nice to hear something positive related to George’s former band. Which brings us, of course, to the most fascinating aspect of the record. In the aftermath of the Beatles’ breakup, All Things Must Pass not only revealed to the world how much amazing material George had in his back pocket, but expressed how stifled he felt by the group in their final years of existence. “Wah-Wah,” named after a slang term for a headache, paints John Lennon and Paul McCartney to be just that: “Now I don’t need no wah-wah’s/And I know how sweet life can be/If I keep myself free of wah-wah.” George delivers these lyrics with one of his most impassioned vocals ever, and his guitar work is even better. His opening riff boasts a perfect tone, and is matched by an equally impressive performance from Clapton and his apt use of the wah pedal. The two trade off searing solos, where George also gets an opportunity to show off his slide prowess. It’s a miraculous cacophony of sound, with Price (trumpet), Keys (sax), Preston (electric piano), and, somewhat ironically, Starr (drums) contributing notable parts to the soundscape. “Run Of The Mill” is slightly more stripped down; clearly influenced by his time spent with the Band, it features some of George’s best acoustic work on the record. Wright shines once more on piano, Carl Radle provides a great bass line, and Price and Keys’ horn work is delightfully melodic. Lyrically, however, it is just as biting. Written following the Get Back sessions, when John and Paul more than ever were not appearing to take his songs seriously, he sings, “Tomorrow when you rise, another day for you to realize me/Or send me down again.” They eventually gained more respect for George for standing his ground during these sessions, and subsequently recognized that “Something” and “Here Comes The Sun” were incredible compositions and deserved inclusion on Abbey Road. Still, when you hear the songs on this record that were ultimately passed over by the Beatles, it makes you wonder: how did they not realize his growing genius? “Let It Down” features an enticing chord progression to match its salacious lyrics. It also features the most magnificently heavy soundscape of George’s career. He and Clapton are both unforgiving with their guitar playing, Wright contributes some fiery organ work, and Price and Keys lock in perfectly with the relentlessly pounding rhythm section of Radle and Gordon. The track is further aided by Gary Brooker’s excellent piano and Barham’s perfect string arrangement. While that song was given up on after a few disinterested run-throughs by the Beatles, the band gave a bit more consideration to what became the title track of this record; Lennon suggested the lyric “A *mind* can blow those clouds away,” rather than *wind*. But yet again, it was somehow not deemed a priority. Their loss was this album’s gain in so many ways; “All Things Must Pass” ended up as an appropriate title track in the wake of the band’s split, and George seized the opportunity to ensure it received the proper recording. His acoustic guitar figure glides by heavenly against Preston’s piano and Barham’s strings. Typical of the rest of the record, the horns courtesy of Price and Keys are majestic, and Drake’s pedal steel soars brilliantly. George’s lyrics and vocals hit like a ton of bricks, especially when Clapton and Whitlock join him to deliver the stately chorus. It is a perfect composition and recording, and there’s a strong argument to be made for it being the greatest solo song by any Beatle. If it’s not the greatest, it’s because that title belongs to “Isn’t It A Pity.” Written in 1966, Harrison had sat on this song longer than any other, and correspondingly had it rejected multiple times by the Beatles. Perhaps, then, he was trying to make a point by including two versions of it on this record. The second version is nice, particularly due to the fine performances by Clapton (guitar), Whitlock (organ), and Tony Ashton (piano), but the first version is immaculate. Ashton’s piano work is also great here, and although his contributions to the album are top-notch all around, Barham’s orchestral arrangement on this track is his most extraordinary. In the song’s first instrumental interlude, the strings supply a breathtaking ascending melody before the horns immediately answer with a terrific descending line of their own. It is during this section that George’s slide work begins to shine as well, as it continues to through the remainder of the song. His vocals, including his harmonies, are as strong as ever, and there is no song in his entire catalog that better illustrates his dynamic ability to write gorgeous melodies over unconventional chord progressions. Some may complain that the outro goes on too long, but it could last for years and I wouldn’t mind. The swirling guitars, strings, and layered vocals are absolutely stirring and divine; it is a splendid ending to a truly remarkable piece of music. The wealth of flawless songs and recordings on All Things Must Pass is almost incomprehensible. Of the 14 tracks I have mentioned already in this review, only “Apple Scruffs,” “I Dig Love,” and “Out Of The Blue,” as much as I enjoy them, would not qualify as my favorite song on any given day. The other 11 are so ungodly good that they may qualify for that title. And on many days, it might be “Beware Of Darkness” taking the crown. Between its unfairly good chord progression, beautiful lyrics, and superb guitar work from Harrison and Clapton, it is undoubtedly one of his greatest songs. “Art Of Dying” might even be a dark horse candidate (no pun intended). This is one of the tracks featuring the band that would soon become Derek and the Dominos - Clapton, Whitlock, Radle, and Gordon - and all four musicians are outstanding on it. Clapton’s guitar performance in particular is his most virtuosic on the record; his electrifying wah-laden intro crashes marvelously into Price and Keys’ bombastic horns to powerful effect. Hell, I can’t even name anything wrong with the mysterious “Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)” or the harrowing “Hear Me Lord.” Every single song on the first four sides of this album is unbelievably good, and yes, I quite like the Apple Jam as well. Given some of the songs’ subject matters, it’s difficult to totally disregard this album’s historical context, but even taking that aspect out of consideration as much as possible, it is still tremendous. I am completely in awe of this record, and as much as I would have loved to provide a hot take here, I have to be honest. All Things Must Pass is one of the greatest albums of all time, and most definitely the greatest of all the Beatles’ solo albums. 5+/5

Oh my god she never shuts up. 2/5

"Must hear before you die?" Why?? So I can know what the 362nd best album of 1979 sounds like? Stupid and erroneous. Excited to never listen to this again. EDIT: Wow, this is an embarrassing mea culpa to have to give, especially since this review has received quite a number of likes. But I've relistened, and I must say, it's been a hot minute since an album rose this much in estimation for me on one listen. This time around, I was much more drawn into it. It's still not my favorite-sounding album by any means, and there are moments where Sylvian's vocals irk me just the slightest, but in almost every song, I found myself really digging every member's individual performances. Really interesting instrumental choices and arrangements. I'm all the way up to a low 3 stars now, but it could genuinely continue to grow on me yet. I guess that's the beauty of it all, right? 3/5